Mary Ann Lake Fishing near Ingonish, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Mary Ann Lake is listed under Victoria County, Nova Scotia. The bank is 294 metres above sea level. It covers about 5 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Compared with other Nova Scotia water on our list, it sits high. Some 7.3 km away sits Ingonish, the nearest settlement. For a city, Sydney is 70 km off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Mary Ann Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Victoria County cover Atlantic salmon, striped bass, alewife and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Mary Ann Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and February about -8°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mary Ann Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Cradle Lake is 1.1 km off. Treat Mary Ann Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.